Hey, it’s Brady,

Before the ideas, one rule: don't make dads a caricature.

Bacon. Power tools. Grunting. The tired cliches that ChatGPT will spit out if you ask it for Father's Day ideas (I tried - it was brutal).

#1: Have fathers recognize other fathers

Pick 3-5 dads in your church who don't usually get spotlighted. Not the lead pastor. Not the elder board. Maybe the quiet ones doing the silent work.

Have a staff member write 5 sentences about a specific memory with that dad. Put it on a slide with his photo. Run them in pre-service.

#2: Sprinkle dad jokes in pre-service slides

Yes, this breaks the "no cliches" rule. Hear me out.

Don't open the sermon with three dad jokes. Don't build a whole service around it. But if you already run pre-service slides - giving, announcements, summer camp - drop a dad joke every second slide.

It's a light touch. A small nod. The kind of thing dads will actually enjoy without feeling reduced to it.

#3: Create a reason for dads to stay after church

Host a barbecue. Plan a softball game. Bring in food trucks. Give dads a reason to hang around with their family in a way that feels different from the normal Sunday rhythm.

And here's the upgrade - do it every year. The annual softball game. The annual Father's Day cookout. Tradition takes the pressure off planning and gives families something to anticipate.

#4: Build a "supply bar" for dads on the way out

This is the one nobody's doing. And it might be my favorite idea on this list. Maybe that says more about me than it should.

Set up a table at the exit stocked with the things dads always run out of and forget to buy: batteries, light bulbs, windshield washer fluid, duct tape, Scotch tape, electrical tape, WD-40.

A small sign: "Dads - grab whatever you need."

Costs your church maybe $150.

#5: Have everyone on stage share a 30-second dad memory

Worship leader. Announcements person. Whoever prays. Whoever preaches. Every person who holds a mic that morning shares a brief favorite memory of their dad.

Do this and you get variety naturally. One person is close with their dad. One person had a complicated relationship. One person had a father figure who wasn't biological.

#6: Acknowledge dads in every season

New dads with babies. Dads of teenagers. Dads of adult kids. Granddads.

If your church skews young, spotlight the granddads. If your church skews older, spotlight the young dads with babies. Balance the scales based on who's actually in your room.

Every season of fatherhood is rich and challenging in its own way. Help dads see what's ahead and remember what's behind.

#7: Don't design your whole service around Father's Day

Personal preference here on my part.

Do your normal service. Sing the songs you'd sing. Preach the sermon you'd preach. Then sprinkle Father's Day elements throughout - the stories, the memories, the jokes.

#8: Give free coffee (or baked goods) to every dad

Only works if you already have a cafe. But if coffee's always free and pastries cost a buck, make pastries free for dads that Sunday.

Is this going to change anyone's life? No. Is it a nice, easy gesture that costs almost nothing? Yes.

#9: Dedicate part of that week's giving to a father-focused organization

Pick an org that serves dads - fatherhood initiatives, recovery programs for men, organizations working with absent fathers.

Announce it in service. Explain why you picked them. Give people a way to learn more.

Your Father's Day doesn't have to end at your church doors. Make it count for dads who need it most.

Today - 13 summer social media post ideas your church can actually use. Real formats you can copy, with examples ready to drop into your calendar. If you’re stuck or repeating yourself, this will help.

Get our post ideas here.

Thanks as always for your time, attention, and trust. Talk to you next Thursday. - Brady Shearer